Winches are hauling or lifting devices, which may pull in or let out a cable. The winch pulls in the cable by winding the cable around a horizontal rotating drum, and lets out the cable by unwinding the cable from said drum. Winding the cable uniformly around the drum is optimal so that the cable does not bunch up around a single location on the drum and potentially jam the winch during winding. The cable may accumulate dirt, mud, debris, and/or other materials as it pulls in a load, which can accrue and buildup around the cable as it is wound around the drum. Such buildup can disrupt uniform winding of the cable around the drum, and increase the likelihood of the winch jamming. Additionally, said materials may accumulate in other locations on the winch such as within a fairlead, cable guide, around a tensioner, in the gears, and/or other places where buildup may be unwanted. Thus, a need exists to reduce the likelihood that said materials would accumulate around the drum and other places within the winch. Embodiments disclosed herein may improve performance of winches by reducing the likelihood that said materials would accumulate in unwanted locations within the winch.